Adventures in Babysitting
by StruckkByColfer
Summary: An unfortunate incident involving Ezekiel and the Fountain of Youth gives Cassandra the perfect opportunity to go trick or treating for the first time.


**A/N - This story is part of my "series of firsts." It can easily be read as a standalone story (all you really need to know is that it's a Jassandra established relationship fic) but for those following the series, it takes place after the Fourth of July story I wrote back in the summer.  
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* * *

It was funny at first. Actually, funny was an understatement. Hilarious was a better word.

He wasn't there when it happened. Stone had just entered the Library in search of his girlfriend when he heard the commotion coming from a few aisles over. First there was a splash, and when he heard Cassandra's distinctive shriek, Jake picked up his pace and ran until he found her. She was standing with a bewildered look on her face while a young Asian kid ran laps around her.

The kid, it turned out, was none other than Ezekiel Jones. Apparently he had fallen into the Fountain of Youth (because not only was that real, but it was also in the Library, a fact that Cassandra was all too excited about) while he was trying to swipe some rare coins he saw at the bottom of it.

Seeing the thief turned into an eight year old was amusing enough to Stone, but the circumstances in which it had happened were too funny. There was no way in hell the cowboy was ever going to let Jones ever live this one down.

But the humour quickly died down when they realized that no one was quite sure how to restore the young Ezekiel back to his regular age. Even Flynn and Jenkins were stumped. No one had ever been stupid enough to fall head first into the Fountain of Youth before.

Researching the Fountain proved rather difficult with the hyperactive child running amuck. Ezekiel was hard enough to handle as a young adult, but as a child he was completely unmanageable. His energy level outmatched any of the others, and they soon found themselves out of breath trying to chase the kid down. Not to mention he was still just as capable of a thief. If anything, his smaller size and infinite energy seemed to help his pickpocketing abilities. Jake had all but given up on getting his watch back. Buying a new one would be much easier than trying to chase that kid down.

Jones did, fortunately, seem to have a bit of a soft spot for Cassandra. He resisted any sort of authority figure, but Cassandra seemed to have a way with the young boy. If anyone had any hope of getting that kid to behave, it was her.

It was because of that reason that it was decided, when they finally stumbled onto something that could possibly restore Jones to his regular self, that Flynn and Baird would be the ones who travelled to Greece to track down the necessary artifact while Cassandra and Stone stayed back to keep an eye on young Jones.

 _Babysit._

There was no better word for it. Stone was on babysitting duty and it was all the thief's fault.

To make matters worse, it had been three days. Flynn and Baird had left _three days_ ago. Stone had been babysitting for _three_ _days_. Jones had been an eight year old for _three days_.

Okay, it was still a little funny.

Despite there being a couple spare rooms at the Library, Jenkins refused to allow the three of them to stay there, insisting it dangerous to allow that young hooligan access to the magical artifacts that were on display. Instead, they had settled in at Stone's apartment, since he was unfortunate enough to have a guest room while Cassandra did not. While he enjoyed the idea of having Cassandra spend so much time at his place, it turned out that having the kid around kind of ruined the mood. Just like that, Stone's life had turned into some sort of awkward, domestic hell. This must have been what the dad in The Omen felt like.

Jake grabbed a couple beers from the fridge and sank into the couch. It had been another long day of child wrangling, but his apartment was finally quiet now that Cassandra had put Ezekiel to bed. A moment later, she appeared from the hallway and joined him, snuggling up close to his side. Jake handed one of the beers to her and draped an arm around her shoulders, his own beer being gripped firmly in his other hand. For a short while they didn't speak, and simply enjoyed the peace and quiet, as well as each other's company. When the weight of Cassandra's head on his shoulder seemed to double, and her eyelids started to flutter shut, Jake reached over and gently took the bottle from her hands and set it on the coffee table. He placed a soft kiss on the top of her head as he settled back into place, and started to massage the back of her neck with the hand that lay across her shoulders. She let out a contented sigh and her lips formed a small smile.

"Tired, darlin'?" Jake asked with a soft chuckle.

"Just resting my eyes," Cassandra replied. "I guess we should have known Ezekiel would have been such a rambunctious child."

Jake took a long sip of his beer before setting it next to Cassandra's bottle. "Remind me never to take adult Ezekiel for granted ever again. I actually, sort of miss the guy."

"Well, there is one benefit to all of this madness," Cassandra said slyly, as she opened her eyes. Jake cocked an eyebrow at her as she sat up and turned towards him, leaning in even closer until her lips were just barely grazing his ear. "We have been able to spend an exorbitant amount of time together," she whispered, her voice low and her breath warm on Jacob's earlobe. He smirked and turned his head slightly so that he could capture her lips with his own.

It started as just one (somewhat) chaste kiss, both of them still exhausted from their day of babysitting. But one kiss sparked something inside the both of them and quickly turned into several. Stone had one hand cupped around Cassandra's cheek, the other wrapped around her waist, and he gently coaxed her into his lap.

They knew they could only take things so far. Jacob's apartment was a little on the small side, and he had learned earlier on in their relationship that Cassandra wasn't the quietest person to take to bed. Still, despite falling asleep and waking up with her in his arms, as well as being together for most of the time in between those moments, Jake and Cassandra rarely had any time alone the past few days. Little Ezekiel was always there, jumping on their bed first thing in the morning, and throwing a tantrum when it was time to go to bed. This was the first night Cassandra had actually gotten him into bed on time, and they both planned to take advantage of their time together, even if that meant nothing more than making out like a couple of teenagers.

With Cassandra now in his lap, Jake supported her with a hand gently resting on her back, his other hand on her bare knee. Cassandra had one hand wrapped around Stone's neck while the other braced against his chest, absentmindedly playing with the buttons on his shirt. As their kisses deepened, her fingers became more determined with their fiddling, unbuttoning the top few buttons and caressing the skin they revealed underneath. The hand Jake had resting on her knee began to move slightly upwards, until he was rubbing small circles on the soft skin on her inner thigh, just under the hem of her skirt.

Cassandra pulled back just slightly to catch her breath, but Jake kept going, directing his attention to the delicious skin on her neck. He placed kisses along her jawline until he reached his destination, zeroing in on the particularly sensitive spot where her neck and her shoulder met. Cassandra moaned once his lips hit the correct spot, and squirmed against him, causing Stone to let out a groan of his own. She used the hand she had around his neck to coax his head up slightly, and their lips once again returned to exploring those of the other. Jake's hand had just begun to travel a little further up Cassandra's thigh when a voice caused both of them to stop.

"Grooooooooss!"

They both jumped, and in an instant Cassandra was off Jacob's lap, blushing furiously, as he tried, awkwardly, to shift himself into a less conspicuous position. Looking up, they saw their charge standing at the edge of the hallway, smirking just as Jones was wont to do.

"Ezekiel, what are you doing out of bed?" Cassandra asked, a hint of annoyance in her voice. The kid must have picked up on it (she had been nothing but patient with him over the past few days) because the mischievous look on his face disappeared in an instant and he suddenly looked slightly ashamed.

"Couldn't sleep," he shrugged and padded his way across the living room floor, squeezing himself between Stone and Cassandra on the couch. "When are Baird and Flynn coming back?"

"I wish I knew, kid," Stone growled his reply.

"I hope it's soon. I wanted to ask Flynn to take me trick or treating," Ezekiel whined. "He's way more fun than you guys."

"We can take you trick or treating, Ezekiel," Cassandra said, suddenly sounding more like her usual, bubbly self. "It'll be fun, you'll see."

She looked up from the young boy to see her boyfriend's panicked looks of protest. But she simply rolled her eyes at him and turned her attention back to Ezekiel.

"Nah, it wouldn't be the same," he sighed. "Flynn is really into stuff like that. He would probably dress up with me and everything."

"We'll dress up with you," Cassandra insisted. She had wrapped an arm around Ezekiel's shoulder in a comforting manner. Were this any other kid, Jake probably wouldn't have thought anything of it, but something about the fact that his girlfriend's arm was actually around _Ezekiel's_ shoulder struck a chord in him.

"Nuh uh," Stone shook his head. "I ain't dressing up. There's no way in hell you guys are gettin' me into a costume!"

Ezekiel smirked at Jake's choice of language and Cassandra shot him a warning glare before turning her attention back to the small boy.

"Never mind him," she smiled. "He's a spoiled sport. You and I can go together."

Ezekiel sighed again. "I guess so. Can I at least pick the costumes?"

Cassandra nodded. "Absolutely. We can go as anything you want...within reason." She stood up and held a hand out to Ezekiel. "Now come on, back to bed. And you're going to stay there this time, otherwise there won't be any trick or treating. Got it, little man?"

"Yeah, yeah," he rolled his eyes and followed her back down the hallway.

It didn't take Cassandra as long to put Ezekiel to bed this time, and she returned to the living room a couple minutes later, once again curling up into Jacob's side.

"You really gonna take that kid trick or treatin'? he asked, sounding slightly amused.

"Yeah. Why? Don't you think I should? As far as he's concerned, he's an ordinary kid. We might as well let him do some ordinary kid things until Flynn and Baird get back."

"And you're really gonna dress up?"

"Of course I am," Cassandra insisted. "It's part of the fun."

"You seem really into this, darlin'," Jake chuckled. "You do realize you're too old for the part of the night where people give you candy?"

He thought he could hear Cassandra giggle, just slightly. But there was a bit of a heaviness to it. Jake turned to look at her, his eyes questioning.

"I've never actually been trick or treating," she explained with a small shrug. "I know I'm too old for the actual treat part, but I thought it might be fun to get dressed up and go door to door."

"Oh, darlin'," Jake said sympathetically. He placed a hand on the side of her face and brushed his thumb across her cheek affectionately. "I guess I should've realized. I mean, your folks wouldn't even letcha have Santa Claus, of course they weren't gonna let you go trick or treatin'."

Cassandra smiled and leaned into his touch. "I never thought about it much at the time, but looking back sometimes I feel a little sad about everything I missed out on."

He didn't say anything, just continued to stroke her cheek and then leaned in to place a comforting kiss on the top of her head. It was Cassandra who finally broke the silence.

"I guess I should thank Ezekiel for falling into that fountain when he did," she said with a small laugh. Jake pulled back slightly and gave her a questioning look. "It's because of him that I have a legitimate excuse to go trick or treating now."

Jake's frown lasted only a split second, but it was long enough for Cassandra to catch.

"What is it?" she asked.

"It's just…" Jake hesitated, knowing full well that he was being silly. "That's sort of our thing. You know, us doin' things you never got to do as a kid. I like being there when you get to experience these things."

Despite his ridiculousness, Cassandra couldn't help but smile. It was Jake's own stubbornness that was keeping him from trick or treating, but the fact that he wanted to be there to watch Cassandra experience it for the first time was sweet.

"You're more than welcome to come, Jacob," she said matter of factly.

"Trick or treating, though?" Jake asked skeptically. "With Jones? If he remembers this, he'll never let me live that down."

"He'll be too busy getting candy to even pay attention to you," Cassandra said, sliding back into Stone's lap, and taking things one step further so that she was straddling him this time. She slung one arm around his neck, the other traced a finger along his chest, which was still exposed from her undoing his buttons earlier on. "Meanwhile, you and I get to spend the entire evening, walking hand in hand in the moonlight. It'll be so romantic."

"Oh, you really _haven't_ been trick or treating before," Jake said in a teasing tone, his eyes narrowing. But, he had trouble keeping his composure while his girlfriend was in his lap, tracing patterns on his bare chest, and slowly leaning in closer so that he could feel her hot breath on his neck. He instinctively wrapped an arm around her waist, the other reaching up to brush a stray lock of hair behind her ear.

"I guess you're just going to have to come with us, then," Cassandra leaned in even more and whispered. She playfully nibbled on Jake's earlobe for a moment before pulling away, and tried not to giggle when she heard his breath hitch at the loss of contact. "Someone has to show me how it's done."

He opened his mouth to protest, but she chose that moment to grind her hips into his, causing Jake to let out an involuntary moan instead.

"So is that a yes, then?" Cassandra tried very hard to keep her voice sounding innocent. She leaned in for a long, lingering kiss that Jake graciously returned. "You'll come trick or treating with us?" she asked after they finally broke apart.

Jake nodded as he tried to find his voice again. "Darlin', you know full well I can't say no to you. Not when you're doing that to me," his voice was low when he finally remembered how to talk.

Cassandra beamed and jumped up with a quiet version of her excited squeal, as to not wake Ezekiel.

"Yay! You'll see, Jacob. It's going to be so much fun!" she exclaimed excitedly as Jake just watched, slightly dumbfounded, from his place on the couch. He wasn't exactly sure what had just happened. Part of him wanted to be annoyed that he just got played like that, but it was hard to be frustrated when Cassandra looked so happy. He just shook his head at the situation as she said something about a shower and bed, then she disappeared down the hallway, leaving Jake by himself on the couch.

He was pretty sure he was going to regret this in the morning, but for now all that mattered was the look of pure joy that had been on Cassandra's face. He could suffer a little humiliation if it meant seeing that look again.

…

"Nuh uh. No way, this ain't happening," Jake announced as he came into the living room dressed in the tweed jacket and black slacks. An untied red bow tie draped across his neck, and he carried the funny red hat in his hand. "I'll wear the suit, but I ain't wearing this cup on my head."

Cassandra giggled at his entrance. He was too cute, especially when he was annoyed. Ezekiel just rolled his eyes.

"It's not a cup, it's a fez. Fezzes are cool," the boy said matter of factly. "And you have to wear it!"

Jake looked at Cassandra with a pleading look in his eyes, desperately looking for help getting out of the situation. But his girlfriend just shrugged. With a sigh, Jake placed the fez on his head, causing Cassandra to burst out laughing. He stood there, growing increasingly annoyed, as the minutes passed by and Cassandra kept laughing. Finally Jake yanked the hat off his head and folded his arms across his chest.

"Nope, ain't happening!" He said, his voice firm.

"Aw, come on Jacob," Cassandra said as she tried to calm down, though she was still giggling. "I'm not laughing at you. You just looked so cute."

"I'm sorry Cassandra, but I ain't wearin' it!" Jake insisted.

"Well, maybe there's something else you can wear, then?" she asked hopefully, turning to Ezekiel. "Does this Doctor character wear any other kinds of hats?"

"The fez is the best one," Ezekiel insisted, glaring at Jake as if he were ruining the entire night by not wearing the fez. But Cassandra gave the little boy a look that told him he had better cooperate if he wanted to go out trick or treating. "He wears a Stetson sometimes. I guess that one's pretty cool, too."

"There you go, Jake," Cassandra said hopefully. "You could wear your cowboy hat!"

"Now that's something I can get on board with," Jake agreed, then pointed to the untied bow tie around his neck. "Now, about this thing…"

"The bow tie stays!" Ezekiel blurted out desperately. "You have to wear it! Bow ties are cool!"

"Would you...why do you...just quit sayin' that, kid!" Jake gave him a funny look. "Why is everything so cool to you all of a sudden?"

Ezekiel rolled his eyes, but Jake didn't notice as he had turned his attention back to Cassandra.

"I think this one is defective. It won't tie," he explained. Cassandra just smiled and approached him.

"It's the tie's fault, is it?" she asked with a smirk. She took took both ends of the tie in her hands and looked up at Jake's blue eyes.

Jake just gulped and slowly nodded, not trusting his voice, especially with the kid in the room.

Cassandra shook her head and smiled at the ridiculousness of the situation. Jacob had a 190 IQ, but he couldn't figure out how to tie the bow tie on a silly Halloween costume. With the ends still in her skilled hands, her fingers got to work and she deftly had the bow tie tightly fastened before Jake could even realize what was happening.

"There you go, it seems to be working just fine now," Cassandra said with a wink when she was finished. "I've gotta say, Jacob, you look really handsome in that bow tie."

Cassandra excused herself to go get her own costume on, leaving Jake with a swollen ego and a look of pride on his face. He stood in place, grinning like an idiot, until he noticed Ezekiel glaring at him. Jake's smile turned into a scowl.

"Don't you have your own costume to put on, kid?" he growled at the boy. Ezekiel didn't say anything, just rolled his eyes and left the room.

While the others were off getting their own costumes on, Jake headed to his hall closet and pulled out his cowboy hat. He smiled, remembering the day he had bought it, back at the rodeo on The Fourth of July. He and Cassandra had only recently started dating back then, and they were having a lot of fun sneaking around until Jones had caught them kissing in Jake's truck. As much fun as things had been back then, however, Jake certainly wasn't complaining about their relationship these days. There were plenty of fun things for them to do now that they had grown even closer.

Cassandra was the first to return. Jake's back was to the hallway so he didn't see her enter. She stood awkwardly in the doorway and cleared her throat to get his attention. He stopped dead when he first turned around, his eyes darkening at the sight of her.

"You like?" Cassandra asked hesitantly. She was dressed as some variation of a British policewoman. She wore a long sleeve, white button up underneath the black police vest and checkered tie. On her legs were black tights and an incredibly short black skirt. Black oxford shoes and a police utility belt completed the ensemble.

Jake was at a loss for words, and he stuttered and stammered until he finally managed to choke out "I thought this show was about doctors, not police."

Cassandra rolled her eyes and came closer. "Jones showed me a few episodes awhile back, before he fell into the fountain," she explained. "I'm supposed to be Amy Pond, back when she was a kissogram."

Jake raised his eyebrows at that. "Kissogram, huh? I can get on board with that," he said, his voice low and rough. He wrapped his hands around her waist and pulled Cassandra closer to him, then leaned in for a slow, passionate kiss.

"Ugh, not again," Ezekiel moaned from the doorway. The couple stopped what they were doing, though Jake didn't let go of Cassandra. She turned around in his arms and smiled at the sight in front of her.

"Awww, look at you!" she exclaimed, a wide smile on her face. "You're adorable!" Though he didn't say anything out loud, Jake couldn't help but agree. The kid did look kind of cute.

"I am _not_ adorable!" Ezekiel protested. He was dressed as a miniature version of the Tenth Doctor, complete with the blue suit and long, brown trench coat. He carried with him a toy sonic screwdriver and a pail shaped like the TARDIS to hold his loot in. Though he had toy versions of both the Tenth and the Eleventh Doctors' screwdrivers, he refused to loan Jake Eleven's version, lest he break his precious toy. Jake had no idea what Ezekiel had been going on about during that conversation, and he honestly couldn't have cared less.

"So who are you supposed to be again, kid?" Jake asked, finally releasing Cassandra from his arms.

Ezekiel sighed. They had been over this a thousand times. "I told you, I'm the Doctor."

"But I thought I was the Doctor?" Jake asked with confusion.

"You are. You're the Eleventh Doctor, I'm the Tenth Doctor," Ezekiel explained. "And Cassandra is Amy in her kissogram outfit."

"I still don't get it," Jake said, his face completely blank.

"I could spend all night explaining it to you and you'll never get it," Ezekiel complained. "Can we just go already? All the good candy is gonna be gone!"

"Okay, Ezekiel, calm down," Cassandra said with a gentle smile. "We can go, but remember what we talked about."

"I know, I know," Ezekiel rolled his eyes, a habit he seemed quite fond of. "Stay near you guys, don't run off on my own. Watch for cars, be wary of strangers, and don't eat any candy that hasn't been inspected by you guys," he mumbled off the list of rules that Cassandra had drilled into him earlier.

"And?" Cassandra asked.

"And don't forget to say thank you," Ezekiel sighed. "Can we go now? Please!"

Cassandra smiled and nodded, and the three of them headed out the door.

…

Jake's apartment was in a quiet, residential area of Portland. It was the perfect neighbourhood to trick or treat in. Jake insisted, however, that they start a couple blocks away from his building, in hopes of avoiding any of the neighbours seeing him in his costume. No one did seem to recognize Stone, but if anyone did, he planned on telling them that the kid was his adopted nephew visiting from Oklahoma.

He and Cassandra hung back for the most part. They walked with Ezekiel to the walkway of each house, but let him approach the doors himself. They were close enough that they could hear what was going on, but it was enough distance that Ezekiel felt like they were giving him his independence. A couple of times he forgot to say "thank you" and Cassandra would call out a reminder to him. But for the most part, he seemed to be on his best behaviour.

"You having fun?" Jake asked as he and Cassandra were waiting for Ezekiel at one of the houses.

"I am," she answered genuinely. "I mean, it's not quite what I was expecting. I'm sure it's a little more magical when you're a kid, and this costume is a lot colder than I realized it would be, but I am having fun."

"Well, I may not be able to put the magic back into this, but I do know how to help with the cold," Jacob said, winking at Cassandra as he wrapped an arm around her and pulled her in close. He rubbed his hand up and down her arm to help generate some heat. "Better?"

"Much," she grinned and leaned into his embrace.

"Can't you two ever keep your hands off each other?" Ezekiel groaned when he came back. He insisted on walking a few paces in front of the couple, embarrassed to be seen with them while they were being so visibly affectionate.

They visited a few more houses, Jake's arm still around Cassandra in an effort to keep her warm, when Jake's phone buzzed. He released Cassandra with an apologetic look when he realized who was calling.

"It's Baird, I'd better take this. Maybe she and Flynn found that artifact they were after?" He walked off a couple steps, leaving Cassandra by herself while she waited for Ezekiel.

"Hey, Baird," he greeted her. "Please tell me you have some good news."

"Great news. I think. Hopefully."

"I think you've been spending too much time around Flynn," Jake said dryly.

"We found...something," Baird sounded unsure. "All the local folklore makes it sound like it's what we're looking for, but that's just it. We don't know if what we've heard is just folklore, or if it's based on fact."

"Well, it's worth a try," Jake said.

"That's what we figured," Baird agreed. "Flynn and I are heading back to the annex now. How soon can you meet us there?"

"Half an hour?" Jake estimated. "Oh, and Baird? Can I...can you do something for me? For Cassie?"

Jake returned to Cassandra and Ezekiel a couple minutes later after hanging up the phone.

"Change of plans. Baird and Flynn are coming back so we're," he glanced at Ezekiel optimistically. "going to the Library!"

Ezekiel just shrugged. "Whatever. My pail is full anyways."

"Already?" Cassandra asked, sounding impressed.

Ezekiel nodded. "It's too heavy," he shoved his TARDIS pail in Stone's direction. "You carry it."

Knowing he was likely going to be returned to his usual self within the hour, neither Jake nor Cassandra bothered to comment on his manners this time around. Jake begrudgingly took the pail from the kid, his arm dropping immediately from the shock of the weight.

"Whoa," he said, regaining his balance with the extra weight in his hand. "What the h...eck do you have in this thing, kid?"

"Candy," Ezekiel answered a little too quickly. "Just candy."

Cassandra and Jake exchanged suspicious glances before Jake turned his attention to the contents of the pail. He reached his hand in and pulled out a wallet. With a stunned look on his face, he handed the pail to Cassandra, allowing him to rifle through it with both of his hands. Mixed in with all the candy Ezekiel had received were various wallets, watches, bracelets, and cellphones.

"EZEKIEL JONES!" Jake snapped, all of his frustration from the past few days finally surfacing. "What the hell is all of this!?"

Ezekiel looked at the sidewalk, even the mischievous little boy knew better than to cross Jake when he was this angry. "People gave them to me…" he mumbled.

"Like hell they did!" Jake shouted. He looked at Cassandra, unsure of what to do next.

"Ezekiel, do you remember where you got all these things?" she asked him. Cassandra's annoyance was obvious in her voice, but she managed to stay more calm than Jacob did.

"Of course I do," Ezekiel said proudly. "What sort of thief do you take me for?"

"Seriously?" Jake asked sarcastically. "You remember exactly which house each of these things came from?"

Jones nodded.

"Well then, you're going to stop at every house you took things from and return these items to their rightful owners." Cassandra spoke authoritatively.

"But…"

"No buts, Ezekiel," Cassandra insisted.

The kid sighed, but he took his pail from Cassandra and led the way back to Jake's apartment, stopping at several of the houses along the way. Cassandra went with him this time to ensure that everyone's possessions were returned and that nothing new got taken. Jake hung back, even more embarrassed than before to be seen by his neighbours.

It took a bit longer than expected to get back to Jake's place, since they hadn't anticipated all the additional stops, but they eventually made it back and the three of them piled into the cab of Jake's pickup truck. When they arrived at the annex Jake pulled into his usual spot. Cassandra was the first to hop out, and Ezekiel, who had been sitting in the middle, went to follow her, but Jacob stopped him by gently grabbing his arm.

"Just a minute, kid. We're gonna let Cassie go first," his voice was warm, all the anger from before now forgotten.

"Huh?" Ezekiel asked. Cassandra, who was now standing outside the truck, also looked confused.

"Well, you've had your turn trick or treating," Jake explained to the boy. "We're going to let Cassandra have a turn now."

"What? Jacob, no," Cassandra said, though she was smiling. "That's silly."

"Just trust me," Jake smiled back. "Go on, ring the doorbell. You'll see."

Cassandra looked skeptical, but she did as she was told. She approached the annex's door, her hand hovering over the doorbell before she finally went ahead and pushed it. She felt ridiculous doing this, but if it amused Jacob, then she was happy to oblige. After all, he had gone out of his way to make her happy that night. She may as well do the same.

She didn't have to wait long. Baird had the door open in seconds, a bowl of candy in her hand. The colonel didn't say anything, and seemed to be waiting on Cassandra.

"Uh...trick or treat?" Cassandra said, slightly unsure. That seemed to be what Baird was waiting for, because she held the bowl out to Cassandra, allowing her to pick a treat.

"Happy Halloween, Red," Baird greeted her. "So how was your first night trick or treating?"

"Jake set this up, didn't he?" Cassandra asked, her voice full of affection. As if on cue, she felt the familiar touch of his hand on her back as he and Ezekiel joined the girls in the doorway. He placed a kiss on her temple, then tipped his hat in Baird's direction.

"Well don't you look handsome, Stone," Baird said, smirking when she noticed the bow tie. " _Love_ the tie."

Jake's face turned as red as Cassandra's hair, but fortunately Baird had already turned around and had started walking into the Library. Jacob and Cassandra followed a few paces behind, and Ezekiel shot past her, running the entire way.

"You guys still haven't managed to wear him out?" Baird called out over her shoulder.

"If you think you can do better, feel free to take him for a few days. We don't have to change him back immediately," Jake replied.

Flynn and Jenkins were waiting for everyone in the Library, both standing near the Fountain of Youth.

"Ah, you guys made it!" Flynn explained excitedly when he noticed the others arriving. "Stone, love the outfit! It's about time someone around here got some fashion sense! Well, besides me, of course." Flynn adjusted his own bow tie as he said that, and Jake once again started to blush.

"Um, excuse me," everyone turned to look at Ezekiel. "Why are we even here? It's Halloween and I'm bored!"

"Oh right, the coin!" Flynn suddenly remembered the reason why everyone was gathered in the Library. He kneeled down in front of Ezekiel and held out a very old penny.

"It's a penny," Ezekiel said dryly, obviously unimpressed.

"It's the very first penny," Flynn added.

"Is it worth anything?" Ezekiel started to take a little bit of interest in the coin. Old was good. Old usually meant valuable.

"Not on it's own," Ezekiel yawned, already losing interest in the conversation. "But if you toss it into that fountain over there, something really cool will happen."

"By 'really cool' do you mean I'm going to find it really cool, or just boring grown ups are going to find it really cool?" Ezekiel was skeptical.

"There's only one way to find out," Flynn pointed out. Ezekiel rolled his eyes but took the coin anyways. It couldn't hurt to throw it into the fountain.

Ezekiel approached the fountain. After a hesitant glance at the adults over his shoulder, he tossed the coin into the water. Suddenly, he was engulfed in a ring of blue light and, when the light disappeared, so had the kid. In his place stood a very confused looking, adult Ezekiel Jones.

"What the hell just happened!?" Jones asked, completely shocked. "How did...where did you guys all come from? Cassandra? Where did they come from?"

"What's the last thing you remember?" Cassandra asked him.

"You and I were talking and…" Jones looked at the fountain and then looked back at Cassandra. "Please don't tell me I fell into that thing? I couldn't have, I'd be all wet if that happened. Right?"

"Well, you're certainly not wrong," Flynn answered. Ezekiel looked like he needed more information. "Yes, falling in would cause you to get wet. And yes, you fell in… five days ago."

"Five days ago!?" Jones exclaimed. "What happened to me!? Why don't I remember the last five days?"

"Consider yourself lucky, kid," Stone said with a chuckle. "You don't want to remember the past few days."

Ezekiel looked over at him and scrunched up his face with disgust. "Okay, I have no memory on the specifics, but for some reason looking at the two of you together," Jones gestured at Jake and Cassandra. "makes me want to chunder. Someone care to explain?"

This time Cassandra turned equally as red at Jake, and they both looked everywhere in the Library except at the many sets of eyes that were staring at them.

"Ooookay," Baird broke the awkward silence that had filled the air. "Jones, you're probably anxious to get home. How about Flynn and I drive you? We'll fill you in on what happened on the way."

"Maybe you can fill me on as to why we're all dressed as Doctor Who characters," Ezekiel asked. "I mean, I'm not complaining. I look pretty awesome as Ten, but Stone is butchering Eleven over there. No fez? C'mon! And that hat's not even a Stetson!"

Baird rolled her eyes as the three of them left the Library, followed almost immediately by Jenkins, who was muttering something about it being too late at night to have house guests. Jake and Cassandra were left alone, and for the first time in days they didn't have to worry about a minor barging in on them.

"You're probably pretty anxious to get home, too," Stone said after a moment. "You haven't slept in your own bed in almost a week."

"That's true," Cassandra agreed, stepping in closer to Jake, her fingers playing with his bow tie. "You know what else I haven't done in almost a week?" She moved her hands from his bow tie to around Jake's neck.

"Hmmm?" Jake mumbled, raising an eyebrow at her. He liked where this was going. He wrapped his arms around Cassandra's waist, pulling her even closer than she was, and wasted no time leaning in for a kiss.

As the kiss deepened, Cassandra's hands slid from around Jake's neck, up into his hair. Jake kept one hand around her waist, but his other came up to cup her face, his thumb lightly tracing circles on her cheek.

After several moments they finally broke apart, eyes meeting in an unspoken agreement to spend yet another night together at Jake's apartment. Jake grinned as they went to leave, taking Cassandra's hand in his and practically running out the door.

He opened the passenger door for her and helped her into the truck. Before Jake had a chance to shut the door, however, Cassandra spoke up.

"Hey, Jacob?" she said softly.

"Yeah?"

"Trick or treating is fun and all," she leered at him. "but I think Halloween is more fun as an adult."

Jake smirked. "You got that right, darlin'."


End file.
